Avoid a Thanksgiving Fiasco With #FireSafety Tips from ServiceMaster Restore

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--()--With the holidays quickly approaching and millions of Americans gearing up for a Thanksgiving feast, the season is sure to be filled with family, friends and, of course, food. Amidst all the festivities, it’s important to keep fire safety top of mind because a cooking fire can be devastating, causing injury as well as serious damage to your home or property.

ServiceMaster Restore, one of the largest disaster restoration companies in the United States, and a ServiceMaster company, encourages homeowners to take caution this year, and every year, when it comes to Thanksgiving cooking safety.

“Thanksgiving hosts have enough on their plate when gearing up for the holiday – it’s understandable that fire safety precautions often fall by the wayside,” says Mary Kay Wegner, president of ServiceMaster Franchise Services Group. “However, with ovens blazing and so many guests in the home, it’s important to be aware of your fire risks. Taking simple steps – and encouraging your guests to be mindful as well – can ensure your holiday won’t go up in smoke.”

The following tips will help keep your family safe this Thanksgiving, so all you have to worry about is not overcooking the turkey:

  • Always turn pot handles away from the front of the stove to avoid catching and knocking pots over. This is especially important when kids or pets are present.
  • Always turn cooking equipment off when unattended. As tempting as it may be to catch the last big play in the football game, don’t do it. “Low and slow” recipes are great, but they’re also risky. Instead of an open flame or always-on glass cooktop, consider using a slow cooker instead.
  • Some methods of turkey cooking are more dangerous than others—most notably, deep-frying. If you’re trying this style of cooking for your turkey, always do it outside the home at a safe distance, ensure the turkey is 100% thawed and don’t overfill the fryer with oil.
  • Candles make beautiful additions to a Thanksgiving table setting, but pose a risk of being knocked over or forgotten. If you can’t forgo candles altogether, consider using votive candles in low, glass containers, or even battery-operated tea lights for a similar effect.
  • As always, make sure you have a fire extinguisher nearby and a plan for a quick and safe evacuation in the event of a fire.

ServiceMaster Restore urges everyone to follow these Thanksgiving cooking safety recommendations to help ensure an incident-free holiday season. If an accident does happen, the experts at ServiceMaster Restore are available 24/7/365 at 1-800-RESPOND. For more tips from the restoration experts, visit YouTube or like us on Facebook. To find a ServiceMaster Restore provider near you, visit ServiceMasterRestore.com.

About ServiceMaster Restore

With approximately 2,000 franchised and licensed locations around the world, ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM) serve customers through a global network of franchises available 24/7/365 to provide residential and commercial restoration services resulting from damage caused by water, fire, smoke or mold. SRM is the large-scale commercial catastrophic disaster restoration unit of ServiceMaster Restore. ServiceMaster Restore and SRM have operations and consulting experience on countless disasters, including clean-up after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, wildfires in California and Calgary, and the Pentagon after September 11, 2001. ServiceMaster Restore is a business unit of Memphis-based ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services. More information can be found at servicemasterrestore.com and SRMcat.com. ServiceMaster Restore is the Official Disaster Restoration Specialist of Minor League Baseball™.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner’s dilemma. Every day, we visit tens of thousands of homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Our well-recognized brands include AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture and cabinet repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration), Terminix (termite and pest control) and Terminix Commercial (commercial termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster, linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, twitter.com/ServiceMaster, or servicemaster.com. ServiceMaster is the Official Home Services Provider of Minor League Baseball™.

Contacts

James Robinson | 901.597.7521 | james.robinson@servicemaster.com
Bristol Whitcher | 617.939.8363 | bwhitcher@conecomm.com

Contacts

James Robinson | 901.597.7521 | james.robinson@servicemaster.com
Bristol Whitcher | 617.939.8363 | bwhitcher@conecomm.com